Mackay council adopts 25/26 budget, rates to rise by 4.95 per cent
The Mackay council has approved a rate increase to help fund infrastructure projects across the region while forecasting a rise in debt over the next ten years. See where your money is going.
Mackay
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The average Mackay household will be paying $3822 in general rates annually after council handed down a 4.95 per cent rate increase today.
The Mackay Regional Council formally voted to approve the 2025/26 budget at its meeting, which forecasts a$141,000 surplus.
Almost one third of the $454m budget will go towards capital works projects with $80m of the $125.6m investment going towards renewing old infrastructure.
Those include $10m for culvert rehabilitation in the Mackay region, $6.6 million for bridge projects, $5.8m for pavement improvements and $5.5m to replace the Bells Creek Bridge.
Up to $34m will go towards new assets like the Northern Beaches Community Hub which will cost rate payers $12.99m.
Natural environment, roads investment and disaster response levies also increased by 4.95 per cent while water charges increased by 7.85 per cent.
Waste management charges increased by 6.7 per cent with the budget revealing rate payers copped a $1.1m bill after the state government dropped the waste levy subsidy.
Cr Peter Sheedy was the only councillor to oppose the budget saying his concern was with the “overall increase in rates”.
“I think we could have done better and we should have done better,” he said.
Mayor Greg Williamson said given construction costs, Mackay residents were placed in a good position compared to other councils by delivering one of the lowest rate rises in the state.
“When you look at the costs of any budget, everything is going up,” he said.
“I think we’ve done pretty well.
“Some other councils have hit their constituencies in terms of their commercial, extremely badly.”
Commercial rates made up 18 per cent of the general rates levied while residents would foot 63 per cent of the bill.
A decline in council assets will punch a $102.5m hole in the budget though Cr Williamson said decisions on what assets will be scrapped or renewed will be discussed in the coming six to 12 months.
“We don’t have many assets that we can sell off but we can have assets renewed at a far less rate in terms of the current renewal rate that’s accounted for in our depreciation schedule,” he said.
Mackay’s Long Term Financial Forecast for the region revealed debt could increase from $50m today to up to $255m in 2034/25, prompting calls for federal government support as future rate payers will be expected to foot the bill.
“What would help Queensland councils and councils in general across Australia is if the federal government actually renewed the financial assistance grants to one per cent of total revenue of the nation as it was when it was delivered,” he said.
“We’d be all laughing… that would take a huge amount of weight off the shoulders of local rate payers.”
Councillor Marty Bella didn’t attend the meeting for “unavoidable personal reasons”.